As local as it gets

Mark Alden Branch ’86

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Silliman College’s homegrown pumpkins appeared just in time for Halloween. They are the latest product of the undergrad Silliman Garden Crew, which has been planting and harvesting herbs, corn, kale, and other vegetables for the last two years as part of Silliman’s own farm-to-table movement.

Students plant the vegetable and pumpkin seeds in cups at the end of the spring semester, and Head of College aides plant the seedlings in the courtyard during Commencement Week. It all started, says Silliman head Laurie Santos, when “a group of students was interested in making our courtyards more sustainable and finding ways that we can grow our own food together.” Santos says she enjoys all of it. “We’ve used lots of the basil, kale, and the cherry tomatoes. Last spring we ate a lot of the zucchini and made a delicious zucchini chocolate cake.” The fall highlight: a pizza party with pesto from the garden.